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Ghigaqo. 



BY 

Arago. 




1890 

lOHNSON, PRINTER, BENTON HARBOR, MICI 



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Nine muses all, awake; descend — 
My soul inspire, my song attend. 
From Homer's alter come with fire, 
Bid Virgil tune my untried lyre; 
In Pajye's smooth flow dictate my verse 
And let my soul his thoughts rehearse. 
Let Dryden touch the trembling string — 
Give ear all nations while I siiig. 



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GHIGAQO. 



I iC miCAGO, by the inland sea, 

[ ^U ^y ^y^^ ^^ tuned to sing of thee : 

^^' Whose future greatness none can tell — 

Whose growth's without a parallel. 
The people and the press declare 
Your right to hold the world's next fair 

In this new Mecca of the west 

Whose star of empire dims the rest. 

Five brief decades has seen thee rise 

From swaddling clothes to giant size, 

'Till now thou art Columbia's joy 

Out-shining Priam's ancient Troy. 

Thy parks eclipse the sylvan shades ; — 

Thy nymphs surpass the Grecian maids ; — 

Thy gardens Eden here bestows 

With fairer flowers than Sharon's rose. 

Thy Lincoln park with smiling face 

Made beautiful by art, to grace 

A city and a sacred name 

Whose blood redeemed the bondsman's shame. 

'Twixt rising and the setting sun 

Improvement's ever going on. 



CHICAGO 



Some charm is added to the scene 

To keep in memory, ever green, 

Delightful pleasures, here enjoyed 

When trouble has our peace destroyed. 

Here quiet dells and shady groves 

Record the vows of plighted loves. 

The bashful swain for courage sighs ; — 

Consuming love his need supplies : 

With stam'ring tongue he asks for bliss 

And modest beauty whispers ' ' yes ' ' 

While Ivuna, Sol's celestial bride 

Her blush to spare, 'neath clouds doth hide, 

The bosom of the peaceful lake, 

To anger oft the storm doth wake ; 

While little wavelets o'er and o'er 

With fury dash upon the shore, 

But storms abated, sinks to rest 

Like child upon a mother's breast. 

The downy swan the throng doth view 

Out-sailing e'en the swift canoe, 

It's graceful neck doth turn, to scan 

The efforts, impotent, of man 

Who strives, by aid of art, to go 

Still swifter than his feathered foe. 

The dark sea lion swiftly glides 

Beneath or on the surface rides. 

A cheerless den the wolf confines ; 

He trots in circles, plaintive whines — 

His mournful cr}^ pleads all in vain 

To rocks that echo ne'er again. 



CHICAGO 



No more, Sir Wolf, you'll roam the wood 
Or scent in chase a victim's blood. 
Here wise old bruin seems to know 
He's quite a feature of the show ; 
He climbs the pole with lazy ease, 
Amuses all, himself to please. 
The prairie dog in play doth sport 
And to and from his hole resort, 
Cautiously peeps without in fear. 
Nor ventures forth 'till coast is clear. 
The bison, last of extinct race- 
Lord of the plains— now in disgrace, 
With spirit broken, bows his head. 
And, lowering 'neath his humble shed 
Calls for his comrades of the plain 
But calls unanswered : all are slain. 
Our eagle, monarch of the air — 
Wing-clipped, a Sampson shorn of hair 
And captive, mourns his prestige lost 
And trails his pinions in the dust. 
These living pictures all may see- 
To nature true— like nature free. 
On inland seas, (celestial blue,) 
Proud ships full oft their course pursue, 
From Lake Superior's rugged shore 
Past pictured rocks where breakers roar, 
And forests dense— pine, hemlock, oak. 
Fade quickly 'neath the woodman's stroke. 
From Erie in the lengthy chain 
From " Knott's Duluth " and back again, 



CHICAGO 



Fruit, grain and lumber, bark and ore 

All seek Chicago's market shore. 

''All roads to Rome " — all sail this chart — ■ 

Contribute to this mighty mart. 

Majestic steamers evenings make 

Moonlight excursions on the lake ; 

Sweet strains of music please the ear. 

The Gods approve and banish fear. 

The dancers to the music's tune 

Keep time while souls with souls commune. 

The weary maiden's languid form 

Reclines upon her lover's arm ; 

The hour, the air, the stars above 

Fill ev'ry soul with rapt'rous love. 

Thousands of trains each day come in. 

As many more depart again. 

Suburban towns are thicklj^ seen 

lyike bees around their ruling queen. 

Her law is gospel that protects — 

Her council governs and directs. 

Self interest prompts to what is right, 

And weaker with the strong unite. 

The poor shorn lambs ; unsheltered, cold. 

No longer bleat to join the fold. 

Time's conquered by the iron horse 

That swiftly runs his hourly course. 

While satellites, round greater light 

Like Saturn's moons illume her night, 

Until Chicago stands today 

Queen of the western waterway. 



CHICAGO 

Here massive buildings, stately, tall, 

In beauty overshadow all. 

The massive Auditorium 

Like ampitheatre of Rome 

Here soars to realms of dizzy height 

The city's pride and state's delight. 

Costly dwellings adorn the streets 

Where grace and beauty smiling greets 

With royal welcome in the home 

All faithful friends whene'er they come. 

Our mansions like a tale by Scott 

Equal the grandeur of his thought. 

Rich structures of ambitious man, 

Fit homes for gods the heavens to scan 

Majestic stand, firm as the hills 

While treasured art each gallery fills 

With paintings rare by master's hand 

Who died before his native land 

Paid tribute to his obscure name. 

In want, distressed, unknown to fame. 

Immortal Greece, — the home of art. 

Whose works appeal to every heart, 

Never attained in palmiest days 

The triumphs of Chicago's ways. 

Her orator, Demosthenes, 

With all his magic power to please ; 

Who by his eloquence could move 

To direful wrath or tender love — 

Unknown to him our blissful shore 

Whose anthem is Niagara's roar, 



CHICAGO 



Her splendors and ethereal skies 
Where cities in a decade rise ; 
Whose merchants with the world compete 
And Sinbad's tales of wealth repeat. 
No race of men, or bad, or good, 
Ever possessed such fortitude 
As this great race of Saxon sons 
Who v/on for wives and little ones 
Such victories o'er wild nature's face 
And made such glorious dwelling place 
As here adorns this western world 
Since nature's God his planets whirled. 
The cities of great Caesars reign 
With all their pomp and warlike train 
Ne'er guaranteed such blest abode 
Nor peaceful worship of one God. 
No feudal lord in castle strong 
Defended by his hireling throng 
Ever enjoyed such safe repose 
As Morpheus here on all bestows ; 
Where wealthy, and deserving poor 
May sweetly sleep, in peace, secure. 
No Babylonian walls surround — 
Without, within, no foes abound ; 
No gates of brass, not even one ; 
No sins like buried Babylon ; 
No great draw bridges and no moats. 
Save only where proud commerce floats. 
Her gates are nature's waterways 
That open to the breeze that plays 



CHICAGO 



Upon the friendly sail the tune 
Of " Home, Sweet Home," where all commune. 
Here life in every varied phase 
Breathes freedom's air, no tribute pays 
To monarchs, sovereigns of earth — 
Who claim by royal blood and birth 
The right to rule poor mortal clay : 
Here freedom's scepter holds her sway- 
Here equal rights and justice too 
Are granted as an honest due. 
Our press, our pulpit and our state 
Proclaim our people wise and great. 
Our thrift and push likewise proclaim 
Illustrious — great shall live our name. 
What more deserving need be said 
Or what more fiat' ring tribute paid ? 
For historys' page the world will tell, 
Chicago doth the rest excel. 
For here beneath God's starry dome 
The poor man finds a happy home. 
His vine and fig tree of the west 
By law's protected, in the best 
And only land where conscience may 
Its individual creed obey. 
No rival nations, pressed for food 
Encroach to deluge us in blood. 
A thousand leagues here intervene : — 
The grand old ocean rolls between, 
A barrier with waves and storms 
That all our fear of war disarms. 



8 CHICAGO 



Here busy man with active brain 
May speculate in stock and grain. 
One deal : a fortune's made or lost, 
One day a harvest, next a frost. 
Ambition here may test its power ; 
Defeat is but a drizzling shower 
That moists the mind for conflicts new 
And spurs the victim to pursue 
The beaten track and well tried road 
Of honest effort for his food. 
Yet, all great cities harbor vice — 
Virtue demands this sacrifice : — 
'Tis so alluring, average man 
Yields and repents ; then yields again. 
Vice the virtuous mind alloys — 
Touch poisons, and embrace destroys. 
The baser passions oft indulged 
Enslave sage reason's best resolves. 
The gambling hell and cyprian's den 
Allure from virtue mighty men. 
Encouraged, 'tis a festering sore 
Stern law must cauterize to cure. 
And though at times it breaks and runs 
And taints our fast and thoughtless sons, 
The body as a whole is free — 
It ne'er prevades society. 
The lesser passions ; envy, hate ; — 
'Tis man's inherited estate 
To overcome by force of will— ^ 
To conquer, — and to master still 



CHICAGO 



Ourselves, teach others what to do 

B3^ precept and example too. 

No people will such record leave, — 

For ne'er before did race achieve 

Within the annals of old time 

Works nearer to the great sublime. 

No ancient bard nor modem sage 

Whose inspired song or profound page 

Has quick' n'd pulse and brought the tear 

Could overdraw the splendors here. 

Nor sun, the God of day, I ween, 

Nor smiling moon, night's reigning queen 

Ever beheld from Jove's high throne 

Such beauty in cold brick and stone. 

Destruction, ashes, tears and grief 

Were only pruning of the leaf 

That now, upon a healthy stem 

Adorns the tree that blooms again. 

No struggling poet with his lyre 

Would sing of any other fire 

Than that which laid Chicago low 

Less than a score of years ago. 

Old Satan too, with all his heat 

Owned up his fire was fairly beat. 

You ask how we heard from his fire ? 

Saint Louis has a private wire. 

Our progress is her bitter cup, 

Like Banquo's ghost she rises up. 

Unlike his ghost, though, she goes down 

A dethroned queen deprived of crown. 



lo CHICAGO 



Great God forgive me while I paint 

The corpse of this departed "Saint : " 

The only greatness she retains 

His name adorns her last remains. 

At our expense she's often smiled 

And called us a precocious child. 

Oh take me back my muse again — 

Away from envious — -jealous men. 

Oh speed my pinions from this shore 

Of muddy streams and mad uproar ; 

Let me inhale the blissful air — 

A foretaste of the world's great fair, 

Where crystal waters of the lake 

Soothe and refresh all who partake. 

Let me behold the busy throng 

Like waves on waves come surging on 

To reach the shore of good success 

By nature's law of usefulness. 

Where busy man and happy child 

To their pursuits are reconciled, — 

Wise councils govern, and control 

The acts of all, leave free the soul. 

When evening draws her sable shade 

And all in Morpheus' arms are laid 

Our stern police protect in sleep 

And all night long their vigil keep. 

Their iron nerve in duty's hour 

When thickly fell the deadly shower 

Of bursted bomb by dynamite 

Has proved their courage and their might 



CHICAGO ir 

To cope with riot ripe for blood, 
And to destroy root, branch and bud. 
A monument in market square 
Records the heroes slaughtered there. 
Our flag still floats full filled with stars 
That stood the shock of brother's wars. 
No alien band with treason's rag 
Shall dare decry our country's flag. 
Here law's enforced and justice reigns ; 
High Heaven approves, as God ordains. 
The only safe-guards of content 
Are virtuous life — ^good government. 
Chicago is a child in years 
A sanguine child that had no fears 
That in the race of ninety-two 
She'd win the fair, as rightful due. 
Where else beneath a peaceful sky 
Is room for all, and food supply ? 
The soil here teems with every root 
While vineyards groan with luscious fruit. 
The South ten thousand sweets shall bring. 
Rare fruits and flov/ers her offering ; 
The West shall bring her golden grain 
Man's bone and sinew to sustain ; 
The Bast with triumphs of her art, 
Shall feast the eye, rejoice the heart. 
The Middle States shall represent 
The products of long lives well spent. 
The great Pacific slope shall show 
The treasures of the earth below. 



12 CHICAGO 



All shall proclaim with one accord 
Victorious peace has sheathed the sword. 
Could great Columbus view this scene 
Methinks the splendors of his queen 
In all her regal pomp arrayed 
Like flowers untimely cut would fade. 
How little knew this valiant soul 
Who dared the unknown ocean's roll 
That he'd bequeathed the Spanish throne 
A country richer than its own. 
How great the contrast and how good ; 
Here's greatness where no human blood 
Must feed ambition's hungr}- flame 
Just to immortalize one name. 
Oh would that I could importune, 
With mine his spirit to commune, 
And let his grateful soul make known 
Its thoughts sublime to me alone. 
Methinks I would a tale unfold 
That all the world would wish twice told. 
Now virtue marks our prosp'rous sway 
And soon will come the glorious day 
When all the nations of the globe 
Shall hail Columbia's spotless robe. 
An emblem worthy to be worn 
On ninety-two's reception morn. 
Oh what a glorious time 'twill be — 
Years ninety-two a.nd ninety-three, 
When all the climes of earth shall send 
Their offerings, and their sons attend. 



CHICAGO 13 

New York may boast her millionaires — 
They lack the zeal for modern fairs, 
And while of wealth they proudly sing, 
As to a kite there hangs a string — 
A puckering one, around their purse. 
When you talk fair they PUivL of course. 
Our great Ulysses' mouldering dust 
Asks from the tomb : "Is honor lost ? ' ' 
Legions of goblins should arise 
To haunt by day, by night surprise 
The ungrateful sons of old New York 
Whose only monument is TAI.K. 
We've millions in the bank at hand 
And millions more at our command. 
United all, Gentile and Jew 
To make success in ninety-two. 
Electric lights our streets illume 
While spice, and balm, and sweet perfume 
Pervade the dwelling and the air 
To welcome home the world's great fair. 
We'll have a wondrous museum 
To show the folks who choose to come 
From other shores and other zones — 
All managed by the famed Sam Tones, 
And we will have an Indian show 
With all the squaws of Crazy Crow 
And Sitting Bull, and many more — 
And Indian relics by the score. 
And should the relics not take well 
We'll have a dance and war-whoop yell. 



14 CHICAGO 



We'll have corralled a Texas steer, 

George Francis Train and other bear. 

The mounted cowbo}^ shall pursue 

The festive steer with his lasso ; 

And show the natives of the East 

Phil Armour's canned exported beast. 

Should Bismark come, we'll show him then, 

The native hog in stock 3^ard pen ; 

And prove that 'twas a grave mistake 

For diplomat like him to make 

To thus forbid Armour's fat swine 

To grace the board beyond the Rhine. 

We'll entertain our guests all well 

And do much more than we can tell. 

Our theatres b}^ da}^ and night 

Our guests and patrons will delight, 

With program varied, every card. 

From minstrel song to Avon's bard. 

No chestnut jokes in ninety-two — 

All, all, shall be brand splinter new ; 

Good taste forbids, nor is it meet 

That I should mention ladies' feet. 

Yet gallantry at least demands 

That I obey its stern commands 

For when with malice, foes assail, 

Girls we'll defend though hell prevail. 

We'll show the world and prove it, too, 

Our damsels wear no bigger shoe 

Than Boston maids or Gotham belles — 

Nor have they hypochondria spells. 



CHICAGO 15 



We'll show them maidens all our own, 

True native born and western grown, 

Who both in face and form divine 

Athenian maids of old outshine. 

Nine years of war the Grecian host 

Fought for the beauteous Helen lost, 

And would if living fight nine more 

For just one maiden from our shore. 

Why should we hold this mammoth fair ? 

Congress by vote did so declare 

For at the last and final call 

We had the votes and wherewithal 

And all will come from near and far 

By waterway and inland car 

To center, here, of thrift and wealth, 

Of life and growth and perfect health, 

Where there is room and ample food 

To serve the feast and serve it good. 

Our railroad lines by far excel 

In number, freight, and speed as well. 

All other cities on this sphere — 

For leading roads all center here. 

Our truthful press sounds loud the note, 

The chorus swells, and zephyrs float 

The stirring theme of ninety-two 

Until our rivals feel so blue, 

They lower their flags in sore defeat 

And with forced smile the victor greet. 

Our press deserves a vote of thanks 

And home beyond the stormy banks 



i6 CHICAGO 



Of Jordan's shore and rocky road 
Where rest the faithful and the good. 
The poet's lyre has lost a string 
In ninety-two again he'll sing 
The glories of the church and state 
Where teachings wise predominate. 
E'en now I view the stately spire 
That points to home of answered prayer 
Where lofty thoughts on pinions soar 
Beyond the dark Plutonian shore 
To realms where night shall never fall, 
Where our kind parent cares for all. 
Where sweet communion and good will 
The prophecy of love fulfill. 
My country's theme let all peruse 
Unstring the lyre, depart my muse ; 
I'll importune no more thy lay 
'Till ninety-two's reception day. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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015 863 539 2 9 



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